


Aerti oneshots

by Asaliz



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canonical Character Death, F/F, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28431504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asaliz/pseuds/Asaliz
Summary: Assorted aerti stories
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart
Kudos: 8





	1. AU

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> These are short stories I wrote for aertiweek(s) on tumblr, but I haven't posted them here before.  
> Hope you like them!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young Cloud and Tifa met a woman on Nibelheim. She is carrying a young girl about their age.
> 
> For Aertiweek 2020 Day 7, promp AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted here:  
> https://asa-liz-two.tumblr.com/post/630318841396936704/au

She was sure she heard a sound, but she wasn’t scared, she was just hugging Cloud back because, just, reasons. It could be her father, he would be angry she just wandered off on her own… but she wanted to be alone for some time, mum just passed away…

“I’ll- protect you, don’t worry!” But Cloud was just a bit less scared than her.

“You think it’s a monster?”

A figure approached, it was just a woman. She was holding a girl their age, and spotted them when she walked closer. She seemed unwell.

The kids nervously waited a few moments, visitors were not common in Nibelheim.

“Uh, oh, hello miss, you okay?” Tifa tried. The woman tried to speak, but coughed instead.

“Oh, I- I have some water!” Cloud clumsily offered her his bottle. The woman accepted it.

“Thank you, children. Are we finally near a town? Monsters attacked us and we left our luggage to run quickly. I will go back for it later.”

“Wait here miss, we’ll look for someone.” The children noticed her left foot had some blood.

….

Both she and Cloud were grounded for a week by their respective parents, for wandering off alone. But both had made a new friend, Aerith, the girl the woman was carrying. She was her mother, and one of the neighbours rented her a room. they recovered their belongings, but it wasn’t much, really.

Aerith was a weird girl, at first, but Tifa decided she liked her. Maybe she was just trying to make her feel better, but she assured her her mother was okay, and she wanted them to be happy. She sounded so convinced…

she sometimes said funny things, like, Midgar was more quiet. That was weird, weren’t big cities noisier than small towns.

….

Her mother, Ifalna, said they had run away from Midgar. She didn’t want to say much, she was running from someone who wanted to hurt them.

The adults supposed many things: a violent husband, her father didn’t approve of her love life, her daugther was the result of an affair… Kids really didn’t care about it, but they knew that tone when the adults half-whispered things.

“Aerith, do you want to play with us?” The kids in town were happy to have another girl. She enjoyed teasing them, and was popular despite sometimes being weird. She was so straightforward when someone told her anything, she quickly gained reputation, Since her first friends were Tifa and Cloud, it helped the last one to integrate more with the rest of the kids.

….

“Are you leaving for real, Cloud?”

“Yeah. Next time you two see me I’ll be a SOLDIER”

…

“Are you going to guide that Shinra group?”

“Yes. You seem worried.”

“I don’t know why, but, I feel they are weird. Sephiroth is weird… my mother can feel it too.”

“I’ll be careful. My martial arts should be enough” She winked.”my teacher is visiting, why don’t you ask him for a lesson?”

“I don’t think punching is my thing. My mom doesn’t want me to be close to Shinra, say hi to Cloud for me.”

“Cloud?”

“I bet he didn’t say hello because he is not with the soldiers… Perhaps you shouldn’t say hi after all? Just be careful, okay?”

…

Tifa had lost everything that day, and her teacher could only drop her on Midgar, but couldn't tell her if someone else made it out alive. She was lost in a big, unknown city. an old woman was kind enough to give her a room.

She slowly started to make her new life, started her own small business, a Bar called Seventh Heaven. She started making new friends, Barreth, Jesse, Wedge, Biggs.

“Welcome!” her back was facing the door, she was cleaning some tables, it was really early to have any clients. she turned around, and her eyes widened in surprise, she ran to the door and hugged the newcomer “I can’t believe it! Aerith!” tears of happiness rolled through her cheeks, as she felt her returning the hug.

“I’m glad I found you.”

“I thought you were…”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t find you earlier. I’ve missed you. I knew you were alive…”

Aerith has always been able to feel that.

“That’s not fair, I… Is someone else alive? And, how have you been?”

“I think Cloud survived, but I haven’t found him… I had been living in Midgar too… but it is a big city, if we don’t live in the same sector, it’s difficult to meet just by chance. I heard from you in the orphanage… I go there to help with the plants… and someone called Biggs named you...Oh! I’ve been leaving in sector 5, a lady that helped us scape Midgar long ago offered us a place to stay…”

“Your mother is alive?”

It didn’t took long before Tifa introduced her old childhood friend to her new group of friends.


	2. Delicate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Aertiweek 20202 Day 6, promp "Delicate"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously posted:  
> https://asa-liz-two.tumblr.com/post/630229362346721280/delicate

Your hands are so soft.” She was now softly pasing her fingers over Tifa’s, after taking her gloves off.

“Oh, thanks.” Then she laughed, not sure if that was the right thing to say Aerith’s hands were a little rough, but not too much, the result of gardening. She smiled, and Tifa sometimes believed Aerith could read her thoughts, “Your skin is as delicate as the petals of my flowers.” She gently posed her lips on her palm, remaining that way just for an instant, enough to leave a nice warm feeling.

Tifa put her other hand over Aerith’s, resulting in her hand being trapped between hers, “It’s nice to hear that.” She squeezed her hand softly, her cheeks turning a pale pink tint as words sofly left her lips.

“I bet you got many compliments, you are just oblivious of them.” She released her hand softly and rested her head on Tifa’s arm.

“I’m not that oblivious... but they just seem a little empty...And I don’t know how to take them then.

Your words feel genuine to me.”

“They are.”


	3. Before and after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aerith things about relevant events in their lives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote for Aertiweek 2019 day 7, promp "before and after"  
> Aerith-lives-AU

There had been many moments in Tifa’s life that marked a before and after, just like hers, Aerith knew.

The first one being her peaceful life in Nibelheim being tore apart, with no chance to reconnect with her past. A story whose details she learned better as their time together made them closer.

The second one was, perhaps, when she joined AVALANCHE, and found a new family. Though starting to live in a big city was a big change per se, she also knew.

Then there has been a relative stability in her life, until she reconnected with Cloud, who, being from her hometown, brought her old memories back, and, as part of that same event, she lost three friends, Biggs, Jessie and Wedge, with little time to mourn them. She never met them, but now and then Marlene and Tifa would told her about them.

From then on, changes became frequent; life seemed to rush the changes, their new companions, the constant information, the different places… She knew, because she was with them then, most of the time, at least.

Aerith could mark some significant events of her life as well.

The first one, with many things happening in just one day: when she escaped the lab with her mother, Ifalna, who passed away. That same day, her new mother, Elmyra, took care of her.

Both women knew how much could change in just one day. One single day could change a life, it sounded unusual, but she knew it was true. Many others could say the same.

Aerith also had to mention Zack, her first love. She said sometimes it wasn’t serious, but that didn’t make it any less important.

And the day she finally acknowledged she was a Cetra, as it made her feel a little lonely to know she was different from others.

And, of course, when she met Cloud, who introduced her with many others.

And after everything, there is one day they both remember to well.

When Aerith almost died by Sephiroth’s hand, and Tifa, trying to stop it, was almost gone to.

Aerith’s injuries hadn’t been so bad thanks to her, but Tifa was at the verge of death for a week.

“I can’t imagine what would have been of my life if I had lost you.” Aerith tells her, caressing her long black hair.

“I can’t see your thoughts, what are you talking about now?” She said with a smile.

“Oh, nothing important.” She was just lost in her thoughts, and there was no need to worry her. Perhaps she would scold her if she told her again she still feel a little guilty, he ambushed her because she left alone. “Thanks for saving my life.”

“He is gone now; we should try not to worry, even if there is still a lot to do.”

Sephiroth was gone, they defeated him long ago, and the battle was tough. That was a big day too, for all of them. She could enjoy her life with her new friends and her new love.


	4. Neon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aerith wants to meet this beautiful lady that Cloud knows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Aertiweek 2019 day 6, "neon"

Aerith was having fun while teasing Cloud about his dress and wig. He didn’t look bad, though.

They walked towards the street, after leaving the Honey Bee Inn, and the neon lights from similar places reflected strangely on their skin. Those lights where on night and day, given the poor sunlight in Midgar. With the sky eternally covered in smog.

It was not fancy, but it was home.

The shiny neon lights were everywhere: gun shops, food stores, all of them had them, and sometimes where the only ones illuminating the streets, always full of garbage and debris, turned sometimes into useful stuff.

And some of them announced, with subtleness, or explicitly, what they offered. Thought anyone who entered here would know, either to offer or bought the services.

That’s why Cloud was worried, he saw a friend going to Don Corneo’s place, though he wanted to look cool and not worried, Aerith though.

She could barely saw the girl when she followed Cloud’s eyes, but even from the distance, she thought

_She is gorgeous._

Was she really in danger? It didn’t matter; they would go to check anyway. She ran after the carriage, following a girl she didn’t knew, while guiding someone she barely knew.

Finally they found her inside the mansion, and she had the chance to talk to her first, as Cloud was to embarrassed.

She liked her, she was brave. Aerith offered to help.

She couldn’t but giggle when she called her miss Aerith, was she being shy? Was she being formal? Was she jealous? A little bit of everything?

While Don Corneo chose Cloud, they got rid of his men easily.

And, while she was used to the danger, being grow in the slums, she still appreciated the way Tifa punched the man who was trying to get her, while a quick “you okay?” came from her lips.

“Perhaps I should ask you to be my bodyguard instead.”

“Uh?” She blushed slightly. “L-let’s go find Cloud.” She concluded.

Right, that was more urgent. She would have time to flirt later.


	5. Distance and reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa worries when Aerith leaves the group

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For aertiweek 2019 day 4

She was gone again. The first time, because of Shinra. This time, she left on her own.

Something happened in the temple that made her choose to leave alone.

Perhaps she is the only one who can save the planet, as the last Cetra.

_No, I… We can’t leave her alone._

Is she okay?

She couldn’t lie, the first time they took her, Tifa was more about going against Shinra than worried about her (she liked her, but she barely knew her.) No, that’s not true either. She was worried about this person she barely knew.

But that changed, of course, they traveled together for long. How long? Yeah, she didn’t know her as long as Barret, but still, something else changed. They really had the chance to know each other better. A lot better.

Would have she thought of romance, when she was so busy with AVALANCHE before?

All she knew was that her albescence was hurting her. She was close, and suddenly, she was away.

“Aerith.” She found herself whispering her name. “Where did you go?”

_Why do you think you have to do this alone?_

She was also worried about Cloud, who lost himself briefly at the temple. Would they be afraid to see face to face again?

Their journey finally led them to her.

When they found her again, the reunion was so brief.

If she knew what would happen, she would at least run to held her for a last time.


	6. Hiraeth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa talks with Aerith about the fake Nibekheim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Aertiweek 2019, promp: hiraeth: a homesickness for a home you can’t return to, or that never was

Tifa was looking trough the window, instead of sleeping. Her forehead was touching the glass, and she observed the exterior thoughtfully, her face reflecting too many emotions.

“Are you okay?” Tifa turned her face slowly to find her green eyes watching her with concern.

“Sorry, I will turn off the lights, we could used some sleep.”

There was silent for a moment.

“You didn’t answer my question… I won’t press on you, but please remember I am here, if you need to talk.”

Did she need to?

_Yes, yes I do…_

“I miss my home, like I haven’t in so long.” She touched the glass with her hand, “But I knew it was gone… I knew everyone I loved was gone… I mean, until I found a new family on Midgar, of course.” Aerith smiled at her, but didn't add anything, “First, seeing Cloud again made me think a little piece of my home was still alive… But this…” She gestured the part of the town they could see from the inn’s window. “This…”

“This is fake.” Aerith completed, seeing her frustration didn’t allow her to finish.

“Yes… I haven’t felt this homesick in years… when I entered my house… where my home was supposed to be… burned… there was this copy, almost mocking me, reminding me not only that everything is gone… but…but…”

“…someone tried to erase your lost?”

“Shinra.” She added with a bitter tone. Nibelheim shouldn’t have disappeared, Tifa thought, _but it’s gone_ , and there should be ruins behind, as a reminder of the atrocity, instead of this imitation, this charade, to pretend there were no deaths. “Their deaths shouldn’t be erased like this.” She continued after a while, “my father, my neighbors, my friends… this copy pretends they never existed.”

Aerith barely separated her lips, but remained in silence, deciding to put a hand on her shoulder instead. When Tifa looked at her, she finally spoke: “I can’t say I know how you feel. But remember you have us if you need to talk.”

Everyone had a difficult past, everyone had old scars on their group. She might not know how she feel, but all of them knew sorrow to well.

“Thank you.” She answered putting her hand over hers.

Knowing she had them all help her to calm a little.


End file.
